Blood and Urine in Biochemistry

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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of platelets in the blood?

To transport amino acids

To support the immune system

To carry oxygen

To stop blood loss from broken blood vessels (correct)

What is the main function of albumin in the plasma?

To regulate blood pressure

To fight against infections

To transport oxygen

To serve as a circulating reservoir of amino acids (correct)

Which immunoglobulin is associated with allergic reactions?

IgG

IgM

IgE (correct)

IgA

What is the function of fibrinogen in the blood?

To facilitate blood clotting Signup and view all the answers

What is the main storage lipid in humans?

Triglyceride Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of enzymes in the body?

To hasten chemical reactions Signup and view all the answers

What is the process called when white blood cells slip into and out of blood vessels?

Diapedesis Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the capability of WBCs to locate areas of tissue damage and infection?

Chemotaxis Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a total WBC count above 11,000 cells/mm3?

Leukocytosis Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for an abnormally low WBC count?

Leukopenia Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for cancer of the bone marrow resulting in immature WBCs?

Leukemia Signup and view all the answers

Which type of WBC has a multilobed nucleus and very fine granules?

Neutrophil Signup and view all the answers

Which type of WBC has a blue-red nucleus and brick-red cytoplasmic granules?

Eosinophil Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for cell fragments involved in blood clotting?

Platelets Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of erythrocytes?

Ferrying oxygen to all cells of the body Signup and view all the answers

Which substance in erythrocytes is responsible for transporting most of the oxygen?

Hemoglobin Signup and view all the answers

What is blood's approximate pH level?

7.4 Signup and view all the answers

What condition refers to a decrease in the oxygen-carrying ability of the blood?

Anemia Signup and view all the answers

What term describes an excessive or abnormal increase in the number of erythrocytes?

Polycythemia Signup and view all the answers

What can cause polycythemia?

Bone marrow cancer Signup and view all the answers

What type of cells form a protective, movable army that helps defend the body against damage by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and tumor cells?

Leukocytes Signup and view all the answers

What component of blood provides coagulation enzymes?

Plasma Signup and view all the answers

Which organ stores urine in the urinary system?

Urinary bladder Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the kidney is continuous with the ureter?

Renal pelvis Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of juxtamedullary nephrons?

Concentration of urine Signup and view all the answers

What is located within the Bowman’s capsule?

Glomerulus Signup and view all the answers

What type of balance is NOT a function of the kidney?

Blood sugar balance Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT part of the external structure of the kidney?

Renal pyramid Signup and view all the answers

How many nephrons are typically found in each kidney?

1 to 1.5 million Signup and view all the answers

Which artery supplies oxygenated blood to the kidney?

Renal artery Signup and view all the answers

What triggers the initial release of renin?

Low plasma sodium content Signup and view all the answers

Which enzyme converts angiotensin I to its active form?

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is directly responsible for retaining sodium?

Aldosterone Signup and view all the answers

What effect does angiotensin II NOT have?

Stimulation of sodium reabsorption in the distal tubules Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following decreases renin secretion?

Increased systemic blood pressure Signup and view all the answers

What role does the juxtaglomerular apparatus play in the RAAS?

Monitor blood pressure and plasma sodium content Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Blood Composition

Blood is a complex connective tissue composed of living blood cells (formed elements) suspended in a non-living fluid matrix called plasma.
Blood transports oxygen from the lungs to tissues, clears tissues of carbon dioxide, transports glucose, proteins, and fats, and moves wastes to the liver and kidneys.

Formed Elements

Erythrocytes (Red Blood Cells)

Function primarily to ferry oxygen to all cells of the body.
Hemoglobin, an iron-bearing protein, transports most of the oxygen carried in the blood.
Shaped like biconcave discs, with a depressed center on both sides.

Leukocytes (White Blood Cells)

Form a protective, movable army that helps defend the body against damage by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and tumor cells.

Platelets

Not technically cells, but fragments of megakaryocytes.
Needed for the clotting process that stops blood loss from broken blood vessels.

Plasma Proteins

Albumin

The most abundant protein in plasma, functioning as a general transport protein and serving as a circulating reservoir of amino acids.

Immunoglobulins

Produced by plasma cells, conferring humoral immunity.
Types: IgG (most abundant Ab in plasma and lymph), IgA (main Ab in mucous secretions), IgM (first Ab to appear in response to antigenic stimulation), IgD (present mostly on the surface of B cells), and IgE (associated with allergic reactions).

Fibrinogen

Synthesized in the liver, one of the largest proteins in the blood, and most abundant coagulation factor.

C-reactive Protein

Appears in the blood of patients with diverse inflammatory diseases, used as a rapid test for presumptive diagnosis of bacterial versus viral infection.

Leukocytes

White blood cells are able to slip into and out of blood vessels (diapedesis).
Can locate areas of tissue damage and infection in the body by responding to certain chemicals that diffuse from the damaged cells (positive chemotaxis).

Granulocytes

Neutrophils: most numerous WBCs, have a multilobed nucleus and fine granules that respond to both acidic and basic stains, avid phagocytes at sites of acute infection.
Eosinophils: increase rapidly during infections by parasitic worms.
Basophils: rarest of the WBCs, have large histamine-containing granules that stain dark blue, involved in inflammation.

Agranulocytes

Lymphocytes: have a large, dark purple nucleus, tend to take up residence in lymphatic tissues, where they play an important role in the immune response.
Monocytes: largest of the WBCs, resemble large lymphocytes.

Urinary System

Kidney Function

Maintaining homeostasis: regulation of body fluids, acid-base balance, electrolyte balance.
Excretion of waste products.
Concerned with the maintenance of blood pressure and erythropoiesis.

Nephron

Functional units of the kidney, approximately 1 to 1.5 million per kidney.
Cortical nephrons (85%): responsible for removal of waste products and reabsorption of nutrients.
Juxtamedullary nephrons: have longer loops of Henle, responsible for concentration of the urine.

Renal Physiology

Glomerular filtration: the glomerulus serves as a non-selective filter of plasma substances with molecular weights of less than 70,000.
Tubular reabsorption: the body cannot lose 120 mL of water-containing essential substances every minute.
Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS): controls the regulation of the flow of blood to and within the glomerulus, responding to changes in blood pressure and plasma sodium content.

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Description

Learn about the properties and characteristics of blood, including its composition, color, taste, pH, and temperature, as well as its relation to urine in biochemistry.